Oracle - Recap

Chloe, Lois, and Martha throw Clark a surprise birthday party as he returns him. Martha gives Clark the presents that Jonathan had intended for him before his death: a birthday card that Jonathan signed before his death, and a pair of tickets to a Milwaukee baseball game. Clark goes to his father’s grave to thank him for the tickets. As he puts the tickets on the grave, he turns to see Jonathan being behind him. Jonathan warns him that Clark will have to stop “it” on his own, and says that if Clark fails, thousands of people will die. He warns Clark that Lionel is involved and Clark must kill him to stop it, then disappears in the mist.

The next morning, Clark tells his mother what happens. She wonders if he imagined the entire thing but Clark notes he’s seen Jonathan before. Martha also wonders what could be so important that Jonathan would violate everything he stood for and ask Clark to kill someone.

At the Talon, Lana comes in to get coffee for herself and Lex. Lois realizes that she’s dating it and doesn’t believe Lana’s denials. She figures that Lana can use a sympathetic ear if she’s involved with Lex and offers her services.

Clark checks with Chloe and they discuss the blackmail tape Clark received, the one that was taken at the warehouse. Chloe admits that they have to check it out but wonders if it might be what drives Clark to kill Lionel.

Lionel is taking pills and waiting for Lex at the manor. When Lex arrives, Lionel demands answers concerning the fact that Lex is working with Milton Fine to create a deadly virus in Honduras. He tells Lex he should end his partnership with Fine but Lex dismisses him. Lex leaves for a board meeting and Lionel suddenly has a seizure. He grabs a pen and paper and starts writing down Kryptonian symbols. His eyes glaze over with a mist of computer information.

Clark and Chloe sneak into Lionel’s office. They go through his desk and find an appointment book with a meeting listed for Leon Rowland, a reporter. The appointment schedule mentions a “weapon,” but Chloe wonders if he means Clark.

Lana goes to see Lex, and he admits that he’s working on something secret. He’s been reluctant to tell her since it will involve her totally, but Lana insists on knowing. Lex takes her to a secret LuthorCorp facility and explains that he has secretly been gathering data on deadly virus, and using the information to create a super-vaccine capable of curing any disease. He warns her that Fine is involved with the viruses but not the vaccine. Lex also explains that he believes Fine has super-powers, showing her photos of the ship. Fine is in one but gone in a second photo taken a split second later. Lex is concerned that he can’t find a weapon to use against Fine, and Lana explains that Lionel told her that kryptonite works against Kryptonians.

Martha comes home to find a message on her answering machine from Lionel. He states that he needs to talk to Clark. Martha realizes someone is sitting in the room: Jonathan, half-hidden by the shadows. He wonders how long she’s been involved with Lionel but Martha assures him that she’s only ever loved Jonathan. When she tries to go to him, he appears behind her and warns that Lionel killed him and will many others the same way. Jonathan insists that the only way to stop Lionel is to kill him. He then fades away. Martha is unaware that “Jonathan” has appeared outside… and reverts to the form of Milton Fine.

Clark and Martha compare notes and wonder who or what Jonathan is and what he knows. Meanwhile, Fine goes to see Lex and demands to know what his partner is hiding from him. Lex pulls a piece of kryptonite out but Fine, unimpressed, tells him that it only works on Kryptonians and he was only made by Kryptonians. He then transforms his hand into a blade and threatens Lex with it, demanding the virus.

Chloe has gone over the phone records and discovered that Lionel and Jonathan were talking regularly. The records also place a call from Lionel at the barn on the night of Jonathan’s death. Clark finally meets with Lionel at the barn and tells him his suspicions about his involvement in Jonathan’s death. Lionel denies it but an increasingly violent Clark slams him against the wall. “Jonathan” appears behind Clark and urges his son to kill Lionel. Lionel insists that the real Jonathan would never tell Clark to kill someone. Realizing Lionel is right, Clark uses his heat vision on “Jonathan.” Unaffected, “Jonathan” throws a tractor at him and then attacks from behind with superspeed. Lionel grabs him, his own eyes glazed white, and “Jonathan” is forced to revert to his Milton Fine form. He escapes and Lionel reverts back to normal with no memory of what he just did.

Clark and Lionel go to Lionel’s office to recoup and they figure that Fine isn’t a Kryptonian. They agree not to Lex what’s been going on, and Lionel reveals a secret vault with all of the Kryptonian writing he’s made. They meet with Chloe and have her scan the information. Lionel reveals that the virus Lex and Fine have been working on is ready, but believes the Kryptonian warnings refer to something even more dangerous. However, they have to find the lab with the virus first.

Clark goes to Lana’s dorm room and discovers the photos she has. Lana and Lois arrive and Lois quickly ducks out to leave them alone. Lana is unhappy that Clark searched her room, and Clark informs her that Lex is in trouble and he needs to find the lab.

Fine and Lex are the lab and Lex finally figures out that Fine plans to use the virus to wipe out everyone on Earth and prepare it for Kryptonian colonization. Fine was never interested in mass-producing the vaccine: he only needs one dose. He places a bit of his nanotechs into the one dose and then injects it into Lex. Lex collapses and Fine sets the laboratory on fire to destroy the research. Clark arrives and goes after Fine, who escapes.

The next day, Clark arrives at the manor just as Lex gets a clean bill of health from his personal physician. Lex denies any involvement in Fine’s schemes and says that he has no idea where he can be found. Lex knows that Clark went to Lana to find out the lab’s location, and tells him to come directly to Lex next time. He also points out that Lex wasn’t the one who was responsible for Lana leaving Clark: Clark did that on his own.

Lionel visits Martha at the farm and tells her that he talked to Jonathan on the phone the night that her husband died, and that he knew Clark’s secret even then. As he leaves, he expresses his hope that Martha can someday forgive him.

As Lex and Lana eat supper, Lex notices a mark on his lift wrist. He opens a bottle and accidentally cuts his thumb, and they both look at the injury as it heals on its own.

Clark is reading his father’s birthday card at the barn when Lois comes in. She mentions that Lana has moved on, and figures that there’ll be somebody else for him in the future. Chloe arrives with a birthday cake for Clark and Lois bids them both good night. Once she’s gone, Chloe shows her the translations she’s made of Lionel’s writings and notes that there are three particular words that keep recurring. Clark recognizes the words: “Zod is coming.”

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